Chapter 401: Soliloquy

Chapter 401: Soliloquy

Why say "thought so"?

Because he didn't dare to look up. Their relationship had always been hazy and vague, but now a decision had to be made.

Regardless of whether they would be friends in the future, or forget each other in the vast world, it couldn't continue like this.

Otherwise, Hikaru himself would also be in torment.

But to his surprise, his senior sister's reply was simple. She said softly, "Mhm, I know."

Then she added, "Look up, Hikaru."

"Huh?"

Hikaru looked up.

"Look into my eyes, okay?"

He subconsciously looked. In her clear eyes, apart from his reflection, there was an indescribable emotion.

"Think again, from when you met me until now, what changes have I undergone, okay?"

Hikaru was stunned, not knowing what his senior sister wanted to say, but his mind indeed started to think according to her words.

What was their first meeting like?

Mizuki No. 3 Middle School's team members, both of them were.

At that time, although his senior sister looked very cold on the surface, her actual personality was very carefree, a bit quick to get familiar with people, and very hearty.

She even greeted him with a smile.

Then they went to the secret realm together, to the snow mountain...

As he recalled, Xue Nai also spoke up at the right time, "I used to just think that junior brother was very outstanding, very good in terms of being a trainer, and then he defeated Han Feng, who had defeated me. So I thought that by getting close to outstanding people, I myself would also become more outstanding."

"Later, Mom said you were a very nice boy and created an opportunity for us to go to the snow mountain together. And that time, you saved me. That was when I started to fall for you."

Hikaru moved his lips, wanting to say something, but before he could open his mouth, Xue Nai interrupted him.

"Don't speak, let me finish."

"Liking someone is truly an unreasonable thing. If I hadn't met you, hadn't fallen in love with you, I probably would have stayed in Mizuki City for my whole life. Perhaps I would have participated in the Provincial League, but as for the National League, I definitely wouldn't have come...."

"All I thought about back then was, how can I catch up to your pace."

"But when we met again in Kyoto, I realized that some people are actually not born to be chased, but to be looked up to..."

The senior sister he met the second time was drastically different from the first time.

She had cut her long hair, her temperament even colder, making her whole person seem like a snow lotus on an iceberg.

Hikaru had witnessed all of this.

But as his senior sister slowly recounted, he only then realized how much effort she had put into it.

"For a good Ice Stone, I searched most of the snow mountain secret realms in Huaxia. Finally, after taking out Articuno's Ice Feather, I found one..."

"I'm not as amazing as you; you're also a breeder, and your Pokémon's moves can always be displayed in new ways. I can only accompany my Pokémon, practicing those tedious moves over and over again... Sometimes, even Ninetales got tired of training. At that time, I really didn't know what to do... Do you know?"

"During that period, I really wanted to give up. How nice it would be to happily return to Mizuki City. Among so many talented competitors outside, I was just an unremarkable trainer. But in Mizuki City, I was definitely a very talented genius."

"Later, I started thinking, should I go back? Maybe just be a Gym Leader in the future."

"But, at that time, you just had to tell me that having a goal is a yearning to become better, that having a goal is a good thing..."

Speaking up to this point, tears were already welling up in the corners of her eyes.

The clear tears at the bottom of her eyes made her originally clear, beautiful eyes slightly red, and the curve of her lips added a kind of tragic beauty. The gaze she directed at Hikaru seemed to carry a hint of blame.

If Hikaru hadn't said those things to her back then, perhaps she would have willingly returned to her small place.

"This... Senior Sister, I'm sorry..."

Hikaru felt restless, as if on pins and needles. He had said those words back then, but how could he have realized this at that time?

"No, you don't need to say sorry."

The girl took a tissue and wiped her eyes, "From your perspective, what you did was perfectly fine. I took you to the snow mountain, you gave me energy cubes. The value of those energy cubes was priceless, giving me the motivation and direction to move forward. Why should you say sorry for these things?"

"The one who should be saying thank you is me."

"..."

"Pfft..."

Seeing Hikaru's flustered and uneasy appearance, Xue Nai噗嗤 (pūchī - sound of laughter/snorting) laughed out loud, "You're not blaming yourself for these things, are you? No matter how much is said, it's all my own personal problem. Now, telling you these things is also selfish of me, causing your emotions to fluctuate. You don't need to blame yourself at all."

"Speaking of which, the one who should be saying sorry is actually me."

But the more she said this, the worse Hikaru felt.

It felt like a knife was being stabbed into his heart, like he was enmeshed in his own web.

"Junior Brother?"

"Huh?"

"Can you let me be a little more selfish?"

The girl stood up. From across Hikaru, she walked in front of him but didn't sit down, instead standing before him.

Hikaru subconsciously started to get up, but the girl patted his shoulder, and he immediately sat back down.

"Senior Sister, please speak."

The girl quietly leaned down, stopping a short distance from his ear, and said softly, "That is, let me continue to like you."

"This..." Hikaru was somewhat at a loss. "I already have Xiao Xue (Sakura)..."

But he couldn't bring himself to say, "Don't like me anymore, I already have Xiao Xue (Sakura)."

After all, what did it have to do with him if others liked him? At most, he would abide by his own principles and keep his distance as much as possible.

"Junior Brother, have you ever had feelings for me?"

Xue Nai didn't directly answer Hikaru's question. Instead, she stared intently at him, a hint of nervousness appearing in her eyes for the first time. Before Hikaru could speak, she added, "Tell me the truth, don't lie to me."

Hikaru's gaze shifted upwards, somewhat erratically, but he truly couldn't say words against his conscience.

Xue Nai looked at him, and the stone hanging in her heart finally loosened.

Sometimes, silence is the best answer.

"What, hard to answer?"

Xue Nai looked at the empty seat beside him and sat down. A faint, clear fragrance emanated from her. Hikaru sighed, "I did, but now..."

"Now what?"

Xue Nai moved a little closer, causing Hikaru to lean to his right. He found his senior sister's advance a bit hard to handle.

"Now I have Xiao Xue (Sakura)..."

"It doesn't matter. If she can, I can too..."

When she said this, in this conversation, her emotions had truly reached a climax, and her heart also quickened its beat.

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